Coongie Lakes

The Wilderness Society is campaigning to protect key areas of the internationally important Coongie Lakes wetlands, particularly from the impacts of cattle grazing. Cattle need to be removed from Coongie and Tirrawarra paddocks within the Innamincka Regional Reserve.

Background

Sunset at Coongie, SA

The Coongie Lakes wetlands in the north east of South Australia have been the subject of environmental controversy for over two decades. As a major wetland system in an arid region, the lakes are recognised as having international significance under the Ramsar Wetlands Convention. The lakes are included on the National Heritage List and have been recognised by the CSIRO as being of World Heritage standard.

The Coongie wetland system is home to hundreds of thousands of water birds, including over 20 rare and endangered species such as the Freckled Duck (one of the 10 rarest waterfowl in the world), Barking Owl and the Grey Falcon. The lakes provide feeding and nesting sites for 24 bird species represented under International Migratory Bird Agreements, giving the Coongie wetlands global importance.

Over 470 plant species (52 of which are considered very rare), 180 bird species, 20 native mammal species, 35 reptile, 12 native fish and 10 frog species are present within the wetlands, making Coongie Lakes an extremely diverse area of high ecological value.

The Lakes are also recognised as having both European and Indigenous cultural significance, having provided an important trade route for Indigenous communities prior to settlement, and an historical landmark for European heritage as the site where explorers Burke, Wills and Gray perished.

However despite this significance, the Coongie wetlands remain under threat from ongoing pastoralism, as well as the proliferation of oil and gas exploration/production in the region, pollution, introduced species, over-fishing and land development upriver.

Coongie and the surrounding lakes are formed from the waters of the Cooper Creek, and the area is largely within the multiple-use Innamincka Regional Reserve. Past attempts by State Governments to protect areas of Coongie Lakes have failed to provide the much needed protection necessary to safeguard the ecological value of the wetlands.

However after a long campaign by the Wilderness Society and others, the area is beginning to get the protection it needs.

Following the signing of the historic Memorandum of Understanding between Conservation groups (The Conservation Council, The Wilderness Society and The Nature Conservation Society) and joint-venture oil companies headed by Santos in 2003, the State Government announced the protection of 27,900 hectares of the Coongie wetlands within National Park status, and an additional 87,700 ha of the Innamincka Regional Reserve to be protected from petroleum exploration and production.

In June 2005 the State government dedicated nearly 28,000 ha of the core of the wetlands as the Coongie Lakes National Park - SA's newest National Park. Assuming day to day operations are properly regulated, the new park and petroleum exclusion zone effectively ends over two decades of controversy over petroleum exploration in the area.

The new National Park represents an important step towards the full protection of the Coongie wetland system. Whilst this is a major victory for a key Wilderness Society campaign area, further measures are still needed to ensure the complete protection of Coongie Lakes, particularly from pastoral interests in core areas outside the National Park.

Cattle Grazing in the Coongie Wetlands

The major threat to the environmental integrity of Coongie Lakes is the impact of cattle grazing in key wetland areas. Grazing occurs as part of the Innamincka Pastoral Lease held by the Kidmans, who have an agreement with the State Government to lease 13,800km2 of the multiple use Innamincka Regional Reserve. Most of the Coongie wetlands are located inside this reserve.

The effects of cattle grazing on the fragile wetland ecosystems include land degradation, destruction of habitat, changing vegetation structures, weed and pest infestation and pollution. Of particular concern are areas of high and very high bird habitat currently unprotected from grazing, which provide crucial nesting sites for a wide variety of bird and mammal species.

The natural and economic value of preserving the area far outweighs the short-term economic return from permitting cattle grazing in the wetlands. While the value of grazing in the Innamincka Reserve was estimated at around $3.4 million dollars from 1988-1998, tourism to the area generated almost 3 times this figure, and is predicted to rise to $15 million over the next 10 year period (A Review of Innamincka Regional Reserve 1988-1998, Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs, 1998).

However while an increase to tourism would provide valuable economic benefit to the region, it is also necessary that damage caused by excessive tourism within the wetlands be addressed. With the proclamation of the new National Park, Coongie Lakes is likely to generate substantial local, interstate and international interest, and it is vital that human disturbance to these areas be minimised through adequate protective measures.

The Coongie Lakes Vision 

Cooper Creek, Coongie, SA. Photo: Ben Wingfield

The Wilderness Society is currently campaigning for the removal of cattle grazing from Coongie and Tirrawarra paddocks within the Innamincka Regional Reserve. This will probably require a commitment from the State and/or Federal Government's for the buyout of the Innamincka Pastoral Lease. The immediate cost of such a buyout is estimated at between 5-8 million dollars, however the long-term value of protecting this precious wilderness area are likely to be far greater.

For the successful protection of the Coongie wetlands and lakes it is necessary for all the processes threatening the wetlands, such as grazing and unmanaged tourism, to be addressed by the State and Federal Governments through a comprehensive management plan for the whole area. With the successful agreement between conservation groups and petroleum interests as to the environmental integrity of the wetlands, and the proclamation of the new Coongie Lakes National Park, a unique opportunity exists for the State and Federal Governments to fully protect one of South Australia's most magnificent wild places.